Auction Catalogue

25 & 26 June 2008

Starting at 10:00 AM

.

Orders, Decorations and Medals

Washington Mayfair Hotel  London  W1J 5HE

Lot

№ 1221

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26 June 2008

Hammer Price:
£5,800

An extremely rare Second World War D.S.M. and Bar group of seven awarded to Petty Officer F. G. Keefe, Royal Navy, who was decorated for his excellent gunnery skills in the Hunt-class destroyer Mendip in numerous encounters with E-Boats and enemy aircraft in the Channel and North Sea 1941-42

Distinguished Service Medal
, G.VI.R., with Second Award Bar (C/JX. 129342 F. G. Keefe, P.O.); Naval General Service 1915-62, 1 clasp, Palestine 1936-1939 (JX. 129342 L. Smn., R.N.); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star, clasp, France and Germany; Italy Star; War Medal 1939-45; Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.VI.R., 1st issue (JX. 129342 P.O., H.M.S. Mendip), occasional edge bruising and minor contact wear, otherwise generally good very fine (7) £4000-5000

D.S.M. London Gazette 21 April 1942:

‘For skill and enterprise in a successful action against enemy E-Boats in which at least two were sunk by H.M. Ships.’

The original recommendation - dated 25 February 1942 - states:

‘On the night of 19-20 February 1942, during a series of close actions with E-Boats, he controlled the Mk. VII Pom-Pom with such accuracy and determination that an E-Boat was sunk or severely damaged. By wise discrimination of his roving duties in action he set a high example of coolness and devotion to duty, which reflected itself in the general accuracy of the ship’s gunfire.’

Bar to D.S.M.
London Gazette 11 June 1942. The original recommendation - dated 2 February 1942 - states:

‘He has consistently set a very high standard of efficiency and devotion to duty in the training of personnel and the upkeep of armament. On 1 December 1941, by personally manning an Oerlikon gun he played a large part in the destruction of a Heinkel III.’

Francis George Keefe most likely joined the Hunt-class destroyer
Mendip during her trials and commissioning in late 1940, a process delayed by the premature explosion of one of her own depth-charges during a working-up exercise. Repairs completed, she joined the 21st Destroyer Flotilla at Sheerness for convoy escort and patrol duties in the North Sea and English Channel in March 1941, and it was in this capacity - via numerous “contacts” with the enemy - that Keefe won his D.S.Ms. First coming under air attack during convoy FS. 449, a few days after joining the 21st, Mendip went on to rescue survivors from the Dutch Schieland in June, participate in a bombardment of Dieppe in July, again engage enemy aircraft in convoy FS. 605 in September, and drove off an E-Boat attack on convoy FS. 615 in October - and it was shortly after this that Keefe’s gunnery was credited with the destruction of a Heinkel III, just one episode that prompted his C.O., Lieutenant-Commander Guy Neville-Rolfe, D.S.C., R.N., to put his name forward for a periodical D.S.M. on 2 February 1942.

A few days later, in a protracted night action against E-Boats in the Nore area on the night of 19-20 February 1942, his gunnery expertise was again to the fore when the
Mendip and her consorts Pytchley, Holderness and Vivien, contributed to the certain destruction of two E-Boats - one of which was boarded - and inflicted damage on two others. Here, then, the grounds for his C.O’s second recommendation, Keefe’s gunnery control at a range of 1200 yards, with Mendip at full speed, having contributed to ‘five small explosions’ on one of the E-Boats (his captain’s action report refers). And both recommendations were duly confirmed, Keefe attending investitures in May and December of the same year.